Environment Switches
Environment switches are similar to command line parameters because they modify the way that PCBoard behaves. Instead of specifying the switches on the command line, PCBoard will look for these switches to be specified in the PCB environment variable.
If you look at your BOARD.BAT file, you will notice that towards the top is this line:
SET PCB=
It is on this line that you will specify any of the environment switches that are discussed in the section. Note that the = character immediately follows PCB. If it does not, PCBoard will not recognize the environment variable. Specifying more than one switch can be done by entering them one after another on the same line as shown in this example:
SET PCB=/NODE:99 /COM2:
This example shows each switch separated by a space. In reality, it is not necessary to sperate each switch with a space but it does make it clearer to read.
NOTE: If you get an out of environment error when loading PCBoard, refer to your DOS manual on how to use the Shell command in your CONFIG.SYS file to increase the default environment size.
/BASE:[hex address]
This switch overrides the com port base address that is specified in PCBSetup > Modem Information > Modem Setup with the value that you use with this switch. The base address under the same conditions that the /IRQ switch would be used. The value that you enter for the base address must be in hexadecimal and may not comprise no more and no less than 3 digits.
Example
SET PCB=/BASE:3f8 /BAUD:[opening port speed]
This switch overrides the opening port speed that is defined in PCBSetup > Modem Information > Modem Setup. In order for your modem and PCBoard to communicate properly, you must specify a value that your modem is capable of communicating at.
Example
SET PCB=/BAUD:57600 /COLOR
PCBoard attempts to automatically determine if your system is capable of color display or not. Using this switch will force PCBoard to assume that your system is capable of color display.
Example
SET PCB=/COLOR /COM[number]:
This switch will enable you to override the Comm Port that is defined in PCBSetup > Modem Information > Modem Setup. If an invalid port number is specified, PCBoard will revert to the port defined in PCBSetup.
Example
SET PCB=/COM2: /CONNECT:[carrier speed]
If you want to override the carrier speed that PCBoard uses for estimating how long it will take to download a file, use this switch. This switch is ideal if you are operating in a packet switching network which is capable of high speeds whereas the users accessing the system through the network may not be capable of the same speeds.
NOTE: For this switch to have any effect, you must answer Y to the Packet-Switch Network question in PCBSetup > Modem Information > Configuration Switches.
Example
SET PCB=/CONNECT:2400 /IRQ:[number]
If you are using a serial port which uses a non-standard IRQ setting, you can use this switch to override the value defined in PCBSetup > Modem Information > Modem Setup. The only time you really need to even worry about non-standard IRQs is when you are using COM3 and/or COM4 for which no world-wide standards exist.
Example
SET PCB=/IRQ:5 /MONO
PCBoard attempts to automatically determine if your system is capable of color display or not. Using this switch will force PCBoard to assume that your system is not capable of color display.
Example
SET PCB=/MONO /NMT
PCBoard is capable of automatically detecting when Novell's NetWare is running. If you are running NetWare and you experience lockups when attempting to load PCBoard, you may want to use this switch. If PCBoard fails to automatically detect NetWare it may think that it erroneously determined that a multitasker is present. This condition would eventually cause your system to lockup.
Example
SET PCB=/NMT /NODE:[node number]
This switch will override the node number that PCBoard finds in the PCBOARD.DAT file that it uses. If you specify a node number which exceeds what you have purchased a license for, PCBoard will revert to 1 as the node number.
Example
SET PCB=/NODE:3 /OLDINDEX
This version of PCBoard is capable of maintaining V14.x style message index (.NDX) files. You may need to maintain these index files if you are using third party programs which access the message base index files but are not yet able to read the newer IDX index files. If so, use this switch which will force all of your conferences to maintain the older style index files as well as the newer style.
Example
SET PCB=/OLDINDEX